Housing & Residential Living

Student Motor Vehicles and Parking

It is the responsibility of all students who bring a motor vehicle to Northfield to be aware of the motor vehicle policies and regulations below.

Registration

All student motor vehicles, including students living off-off (Northfield Option), are required to be registered with Security Services. Applications may be submitted via the Online Vehicle Registration Form, or may be picked up in the Security Services office, Sayles-Hill 205.

Regulations

The MOTOR VEHICLE POLICY shall be in effect on the first day of classes Fall Term through the Final Exam Spring term, including midterm breaks, winter and spring vacation/break. While attending Carleton College, students are not permitted to drive or possess motor vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other such licensable motor vehicles) within the city limits of Northfield except as outlined in the policy.

A student desiring to drive or park on campus for any other reason must first obtain permission from the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy. The term “campus” is used as defined in Article I of the Student Judicial Code.

Any student desiring to maintain a motor vehicle in Northfield after the first day of classes must obtain permission to do so. Unauthorized student vehicles parked on campus or in Northfield after the first day of classes of each term will be subject to a fine, autoclamp, or towing at the owner's expense. Applications for such approval must be submitted to the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy. Students granted permission to keep a vehicle in Northfield will be issued a parking permit. The parking permit must be affixed to the rear bumper of the vehicle. Applications for Fall Term must be submitted and approved prior to the first day of classes, and applications to maintain a vehicle in Northfield for either Winter or Spring Term must be submitted prior to the end of the previous term. Those students whose applications are received after the available spaces have been assigned will be asked to remove their motor vehicles from Northfield. For this reason it is required that students obtain permission before they bring motor vehicles to Northfield.

A student may request permission to drive a vehicle to Northfield and to keep it in Recreation Center parking lot for the duration of the term. An off-street parking space will be assigned on a first come, first served basis and the motor vehicle must be stored in that space; failure to comply will result in loss of the privilege of maintaining a vehicle in Northfield or a fine. Once parking stalls reserved for student use are assigned to capacity, students will be responsible for securing their own off-street, off-campus parking space. No student enrolled at Carleton will be permitted to park a motor vehicle on the city streets, between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

A fee of $75 per term will be charged for storage or parking of a motor vehicle on campus. If students have arranged to store vehicles elsewhere and can provide their own off-street parking space (e.g., renting a garage), they may do so; however, the vehicle must still be registered with Security Services. A student may register their vehicle for the entire academic year during the Fall term at a fee of $200. If registering for the Winter and Spring term only, the fee is $125.

Students of any of the following categories may apply to the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy for a Inner Campus parking spot for one motor vehicle:

students living in College-owned housing who have the 5 meal, 10 meal or no board contract with the College (limit of one vehicle per house or living unit). An off-street parking space will be assigned if available and the motor vehicle must be stored in that space; failure to comply will result in loss of the privilege of maintaining a motor vehicle in Northfield or a fine;

students showing proof of employment or internship during the term and demonstrating that a vehicle is required a) to get to and from the place of employment, internship or b) in the performance of the student's duties on behalf of the employer. An off-street parking space will be assigned if available and the motor vehicle must be stored in that space; failure to comply will result in loss of the privilege of maintaining a motor vehicle in Northfield or a fine.

Any student will be permitted to drive a vehicle for any purpose except they may not be driven or parked on campus other than in their assigned parking lot. No student enrolled at Carleton will be permitted to park their vehicle overnight on a city street. Students who use personal vehicles for College business are advised that by law every motor vehicle which is operated on the public roads, streets and highways in Minnesota must be covered by proper no-fault and liability insurance. Under the financial responsibility law for the State of Minnesota, an owner is legally responsible for his or her own automobile when the car is being used by a second party. He or she becomes liable for any negligence of the driver of the car. For this reason we ask that all faculty, staff, and students who use or loan their cars for authorized college trips be sure that satisfactory limits of insurance for bodily injury, property damage, and medical payments are carried.

Students may drive commercially rented cars for personal use, provided that they drive them as directly and expeditiously as possible from the rental firm to a point outside of Northfield, and, upon returning to Northfield, drive them as directly and expeditiously as possible back to the rental firm.

Students will also be permitted to drive their employer's vehicle in the performance of their duties on behalf of the employer.

Students possessing a motor vehicle for a period of up to two weeks must obtain a temporary parking permit from the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy. Vehicles issued a temporary permit must park in a lot assigned by the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy. There is no fee for a temporary parking permit. Students are limited to one two week temporary parking permit per academic term.

Students leaving their vehicle on campus during Winter/Summer vacation must obtain permission and parking assignment from the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy. Failure to obtain such permission may result in the owner being responsible for substantial towing and storage fees.

Students living in non-College housing off campus who will provide their own off-street parking space (vehicle registration for this category is valid for the entire academic year and there is no parking registration fee assessed).

Where to Park

STUDENT OWNED/OPERATED VEHICLES PARKED ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THEIR ASSIGNED PARKING LOT WILL BE SUBJECT TO FINE/TOW! Please note: If you have been assigned to the Townhouse parking lot, you must park in the south lot. Do not park in the north stadium lot. Violators will be subject to ticket/tow.

City of Northfield parking regulations state (1) no person shall park a vehicle in one space upon a street or municipally owned parking area for a period exceeding 48 hours, and (2) there shall be no parking on city streets between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. from November 15 until March 15.

Students living in non-college owned housing must provide their own off street parking space. Vehicles cannot be stored or parked on a city street between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Violations and Penalties

Any motor vehicle maintained in Northfield which has not been registered with the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy constitutes an unregistered vehicle. The following system of penalties will be imposed upon offenders:

parking on a city street between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. or unauthorized parking of a registered vehicle on campus: first offense, $10 fine; second offense, $20; subsequent offenses, $40 fine, tow, or loss of parking privileges on campus;parking in a handicapped stall, up to $200 fine and/or tow;

parking in a fire lane, $25 fine and/or tow;

all other violations of Carleton College parking regulations, $10 fine and/or tow;

careless or reckless driving on any campus road or walkway; first offense, $20 fine; second offense, $40 fine; third offense, loss of right to operate a motor vehicle on campus for a period of one year.

In addition, offenders will be responsible for all fees incurred in determining ownership of a motor vehicle.

Reporting Possible Violations

All complaints against students concerning Student Motor Vehicle Policy violations shall be submitted to the Administrator of that policy. Complaints may be filed by any member of the Carleton community, as well as by any resident of Northfield. Reports should include the following information if available: a description of the vehicle, its license number and state, the location, time and date of the alleged violation, and details concerning the nature of the incident. Security personnel shall file regular reports concerning the status of vehicles sighted on or adjacent to College property. These reports shall also include details of any unauthorized violations actually witnessed. Security personnel shall have the right to question any students concerning their relationship to a specific vehicle, should probable cause for suspicion of a violation exist.

Processing of Reported Violations

In the case of unauthorized use or parking of the reported vehicle, the offender shall be issued a violation report.

In the case of a vehicle that is suspected of being maintained in Northfield and unregistered by a student, an inquiry shall be made to the state in which the vehicle is licensed to determine its owner.

Should the vehicle be legally registered in that state to a Carleton student, said student shall be issued a violation report.

Should the vehicle be legally registered in that state to a member of the immediate family of a Carleton student, and there exists substantial indication that the student is in possession of said vehicle in Northfield (e.g., the vehicle is registered in New Jersey in a parent's name), the student shall be issued a violation report.

A denial of possession in Northfield must be supported by a written statement from a third party who claims to have had the vehicle in his or her possession at the time of the alleged violation. If such information is received within five academic days, charges brought against the student may be dropped. Should the student fail to provide such information within this time limit, he or she shall be assumed to have had possession at the time of the reported violation.

Parking Fine Payment and Appeal Procedure

Fines imposed for violations of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy or Carleton College parking regulations will be due and payable in the Business Office or the Hub upon receipt by the student of a Violation Report.

Any alleged violator may assert the existence of extenuating circumstances for a violation of the policy or that he or she can establish that he or she did not commit the alleged offense. (Ignorance of any part of the Policy will not be considered as a valid excuse for an offense.) Such assertion must be delivered in writing to the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy within five academic days after delivery of the notification. The matter will be dismissed or sustained in accordance with Carleton College parking regulations. The student relinquishes this right if he or she fails to contact the Administrator of the Student Motor Vehicle Policy within the prescribed time period.

When a violation is accompanied or characterized by other behavior such as careless driving, driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, or other behavior in violation of the Student Judicial Code, the student may be charged with additional violations of the Student Judicial Code and/or Minnesota State Statutes.

Notification

Notification to the student offender shall include all the information supplied on the violation report. Violation reports will normally be issued through the campus mail system.